Good News for Older Thyroid Patients

Research reported in ScienceDaily (October 27, 2009) is good news for older patients with thyroid disease. It shows that surgery is a much safer treatment option for them than many physicians previously believed. Dr. Melanie W. Seybt, endocrine-head and neck surgeon and the Medical College of Georgia and primary author of the study states, "We suspected older patients might be admitted to the hospital more often, have more complications and more cancer." However, the study which was published in the medical journal, Archives of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, showed this not to be the case. In fact, when analyzing thyroid patients between the ages of 21-35 and those who were over the age of 65 the study revealed little differences between the two groups of patients. The findings showed:

• Both groups could successfully have outpatient surgery at approximately the same basic rate: 45.5 percent of the elderly and 51.2 percent of younger patients
  
• Both groups experienced the same rate of complications, such as low calcium
  
• Malignancy was present in 27.3 percent of the elderly patients and 18.6 percent of younger patients
  
• A somewhat higher hospital readmission rate among the elderly patients, 4.5 percent as opposed to 1.2 percent; however, it was not due to age-related issues or calcium levels
  
• No post-operative bleeding or cases of vocal cord paralysis among either group in the study
  

The study gives hope to older thyroid patients who are concerned about the safety of their having thyroid surgery, such as a thyroidectomy. It is still very important for patients to first receive a pre-operative health screening. Older patients have to be concerned with heart failure, hypertension, and restrictive lung conditions. However, head and neck surgeries have fewer complications than procedures which involve the chest or abdomen and elderly patients are tolerating it well.

If patients do not receive clearance for surgery, there are effective pharmaceutical options for controlling thyroid disease. NEOMERCAZOLE® (tablets) is medication for thyroid disease which can be prescribed to patients with hyperthyroidism to lower the amount of hormones produced by the thyroid gland. It may also be given in preparation for surgery or prior to radioactive iodine treatment. Levothyroxine (Levoxyl ®,Eltroxin®) is thyroid medicine given to patients with hypothyroidism that are experiencing an insufficient amount of hormone manufacture by the thyroid. It can also be given to prevent the thyroid from becoming enlarged because of cancer, surgery, or radiation treatment. Thyroid medication can be purchased at a local drugstore. However, thyroid patients of all ages with a valid prescription are now getting their medication through an online pharmacy, such as www.pacificonlinepharmacy.com at reduced costs. The expense of thyroid medicine becomes a concern for many patients because most need to take such medication long-term to successfully manage their condition.

An Untreated, Underactive Thyroid May Cause Heart Failure

An estimated 27 million people in the United States suffer from some kind of type of thyroid disease. However, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists report only half of these people is actually diagnosed. While the primary concern used to be the direct effects of the thyroid disease, current research suggests low thyroid function could be linked to cardiac complications.

A study recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examines the effects of abnormally low thyroid function on the development of cardiac failure. A study led by Dr. Anne R. Cappola, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology for the University of Pennsylvania, monitored over 3,000 patients over a twelve year period, looking for a relationship between thyroid activity and the development of heart disease. The research specifically looked to see if certain levels of the thyroid hormone TSH contributed to the heart's decreased ability to pump blood over time. TSH is manufactured in the pituitary gland to stimulate activity within the thyroid gland. When levels of TSH hormone are elevated, it indicates that the pituitary is working harder to make the thyroid perform its normal function within the body.

The findings show that patients within the study who had a high TSH reading were two times as likely to suffer from heart failure as those with lower levels of the hormone. When the TSH levels were normal or low, there was no appreciable effect on the cardio vascular system. Patients currently with hypothyroidism have a high TSH level which means their body is not receiving enough of the thyroid stimulating hormone. Unless a doctor is asked to specifically do a blood screening for thyroid levels, it is not routinely checked during a physical. It is also not usually done for older patients unless they are already experiencing symptoms of thyroid disease. However based on the amount of undiagnosed Americans with thyroid problems and the concern that it could be connected to heart complications, it may be worthwhile to regularly screen for hypothyroidism. It also suggests that patients with an elevated TSH level should treat their condition.

Hypothyroidism and the opposite condition where patients have too-low a TSH level called hyperthyroidism, can both be treated with thyroid medication. Medicine for thyroid disease is prescribed by a physician and a patient is regularly monitored to ensure the body's thyroid is responding properly and controlling hormone levels. Pharmaceutical treatment for thyroid disease is usually in pill form and the dosage will depend on the weight and metabolism of the patient. Thyroid medicine can be purchased a local drugstore or less expensively through an online pharmacy such as www.pacificonlinepharmacy.com. Pharmaceutical treatment for thyroid disease is usually in pill form and the dosage will depend on the weight and metabolism of the patient.